Psychotherapeutische Versorgung mit hochfrequenten und längerfristigen (psychodynamischen/psychoanalytischen) Behandlungen

This article discusses the benefits of long-term high-frequency (or medium-frequency, respectively) psychodynamic or psychoanalytic treatment for indicated disorders. While milder conditions are increasingly accepted and treated, patients with severe and the most severe disorders face significant hurdles, such as selecting suitable therapists and the financial burden of high-frequency therapies, which are often not covered by insurance—regardless of the specific psychotherapy approach. This leads to substantial impairments and psychological as well as physical disadvantages for these patients.

Diagnosis and indication are complex processes requiring a nuanced consideration of the individual’s psychic structure and functioning. However, recent studies clearly show that high-frequency psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapies are highly effective and sustainable for severe mental disorders with appropriate indication, including group therapy settings and the treatment of children and adolescents. In the long term, these therapies (as well as other therapeutic approaches) can not only alleviate suffering but also reduce healthcare costs. Therefore, all these treatments should be more firmly established and further developed to better harness their individual, societal, and economic benefits.

Various aspects of this issue are explored and contextualized within the framework of international research findings.